When people learn that Old Worthington is a candidate for a listing on the National Register of Historic Places, one reaction is most common.

It's not already on the list?

"It comes as a surprise to people that Worthington doesn't have a historic district, so we decided to fix it," said Mikel Coulter.

He and about a half dozen other residents have been preparing the application for the past decade, and are pleased that it is complete and that Old Worthington could be on the prestigious list by the end of the year.

They received an endorsement from Worthington City Council on Monday night, and hope residents come out to support the process at a public meeting in July and at the official public hearing before the Ohio Historic Preservation Office on Aug. 28.

That meeting is important because, if the state approves of the project, national acceptance is practically assured.

"The fact that people want to have a historic district is important," said committee member Jim Ventresca.

The National Register is administered by the National Parks Services. Nationwide, there are 13,594 historic districts, including 33 in Franklin County. Worthington's Rush Creek Village is on the list, which is called on the National Register Web site "the official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation."

The Old Worthington committee began the application process in 1999, and an early try was rejected because it included structures already on the list.

The new application is a 70-80 page publication that includes about 80 to 90 percent of the 650 residential and commercial structures in Old Worthington.

Old Worthington is roughly the original plat of Worthington, reaching from Morning to Evening streets and South to North streets.

Those structures excluded were either built within the past 50 years or have had their historic integrity destroyed by renovations.

In compiling information about the structures and neighborhoods, the committee relied extensively on work done by the late Jane Trucksis, who created a voluminous file of information when she was the curator of the Worthington Historical Society.

Trucksis is listed as one of the applicants on the application, as is the late Paul Wherry.

A historic district designation will only enhance the area, said Ventresca.

Property owners will not face any additional restrictions when making alterations to their properties, he said.

They may, though, be eligible for special state and federal loans and tax breaks sometimes offered to property owners within official historic districts.

And the community as a whole could benefit as tourists sometimes seek out historic districts to visit, and people and businesses are often attracted to such communities when seeking new homes.

"It can be part of the intangible part of economic development," Ventresca said.

He and other members of the Old Worthington Association are pleased to see their years of hard work about to pay off for the community.

"It has been an effort of love and honor and respect for Worthington," said Chris Hermann.